


birthday prom

by andromedagalaxy



Series: Philkas College Verse [3]
Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 18:49:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10882812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andromedagalaxy/pseuds/andromedagalaxy
Summary: “What is this?” Philip asks.“So, uh,” Lukas says, watching him take the paper in his hands, his eyes scanning over the words. “I know we’ve been distracted by the whole finding out we got into NYU thing, apartment hunting, normal school crap, but uh—well, this is sorta perfect, I mean, considering—considering it falls right on your birthday—”Philip is breathing hard through his mouth as he stares down at the invitation, and Lukas’s eyes trace awkwardly over his own handwriting on the back. Philip’s eyes dart up to find Lukas’s, and he blinks at him a couple times. “Prom?” he asks. “Prom?”





	birthday prom

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday to the wonderful Ilana, who brings lovely art and sunshine into our lives every day!

“Philip, don’t be mad,” Lukas says, fanning out his stack of fake money.

“I’m not mad.”

“He just thought he was getting better,” Gabe says, giving Lukas a look.

Lukas’s face falls.

“Gabe knows when to let me win,” Helen says, starting to gather up the pieces and put them in the box. “I always give him the eye and then I magically wind up being able to buy Boardwalk.”

Lukas puts his stack of money down and Helen sweeps it up like it was never even there. Philip is still leaning on his fist and Lukas feels like a fucking idiot. He reaches out, grabbing Philip’s hand over the game board. “Baby, you’re not mad I beat you at Monopoly right?”

“Nope,” Philip says, but Helen snorts behind him. Philip glances up at Lukas, and there’s disappointment in his eyes. 

“I love you,” Lukas whispers, grinning at him.

“Mhm,” Philip hums, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“You need to give me the eye like Helen gives Gabe the eye,” Lukas says, squeezing his hand. “And then I’ll let you win any game you want. I’ll go to jail and I’ll stay there. I’ll give up every turn to see you smile.”

“Isn’t he sweet?” Helen says, nudging Gabe in the ribs. “Right after slaughtering all three of us.”

“He’s lucky he’s cute,” Philip says, holding up their hands so Helen can clear away the board. Lukas brings Philip’s fingers up to his mouth and presses a kiss to each one of them, holding his hand against his mouth and smiling at him. Philip smiles back, albeit tentatively, and Lukas sags a little bit in relief.

“You guys want ice cream?” Gabe asks, walking into the kitchen.

“You still have that banana cream one?” Lukas asks.

“Unless you finished it,” Gabe says.

“I’ll take some of that too, if it’s still there,” Philip says. 

Both Helen and Gabe are in the kitchen and Lukas has been waiting for this moment all day. He plays with Philip’s fingers and slowly takes the piece of paper out of his pocket. He unfolds it under the table, watching as Philip glances up at him.

“What’s that look on your face?” Philip asks.

Lukas realizes he’s already messing this up. He clears his throat and tries to put the paper on the coffee table as smoothly as he can, pushing it towards Philip with one finger. Philip lets go of Lukas’s hand. 

“What is this?” Philip asks.

“So, uh,” Lukas says, watching him take the paper in his hands, his eyes scanning over the words. “I know we’ve been distracted by the whole finding out we got into NYU thing, apartment hunting, normal school crap, but uh—well, this is sorta perfect, I mean, considering—considering it falls right on your birthday—”

Philip is breathing hard through his mouth as he stares down at the invitation, and Lukas’s eyes trace awkwardly over his own handwriting on the back. Philip’s eyes dart up to find Lukas’s, and he blinks at him a couple times. “Prom?” he asks. “Prom?”

“Yeah,” Lukas says, his voice cracking like he’s fucking thirteen again. “Look at, uh—I wrote you, uh—I wrote you a note on the back.”

Philip flips it over and Lukas can see his hands are shaking. He remembers writing it this afternoon at lunch, when Philip had gone to the bathroom, and Rose was making cooing noises behind him. 

_I can’t wait to dance with you in front of everyone. I can’t wait to pin a flower to your lapel. I can’t wait for everyone to know I’m there with you._

_I love you. Go to prom with me?_

He watches Philip read and he still gets nervous sometimes, about being out at school. But now it’s a different kind of emotion, and not so much about himself. He hates knowing people talk about Philip, say nasty things about him, and all he wants to do is beat the shit out of anybody who looks at him sideways. Lukas’s love for Philip grows bigger every single day. Before, Lukas was worried about himself—how people would look at him, what they’d think of him, what he’d think of himself when he saw the looks on their faces. But now, after everything, he’s so attached to Philip and what they have that his main concern has shifted to Philip’s feelings, in almost all matters. Everyone knows they’re together, and it’s such an essential part of Lukas’s identity now that he can’t even imagine not going to prom with Philip. He doesn’t care that they’ll be the only gay couple there. Because Philip deserves this. They both do. 

He clears his throat again. “I know it’s already next month but I thought—it’d be fun and I, uh—I—” He looks up to see if Helen and Gabe are paying attention to them, but they’re talking amongst themselves. He looks back at Philip, who’s staring up at him. “I booked us a nice hotel room,” he whispers, leaning forward a little bit. “For afterwards. We’ll have a birthday cake, a nice bed, each other…”

Philip just stares, still not saying anything.

Lukas’s ears are burning red and he’s getting nervous. “So?” he asks. “What do you say?”

Philip stares for a moment longer and then leans over the table, cupping Lukas’s face in his hands and kissing him hard on the mouth. It lasts a long time and Lukas sighs into it, his hands clenching in his lap.

“Yes,” Philip whispers, against his lips. “Yes, yes, I’ll go to prom with you.”

For some reason Lukas was expecting a negative answer and he nods, a little broken half-sob escaping his throat. “Really?” he asks, putting his hands flat on the coffee table. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Philip says, kissing Lukas again. He sits back after a moment, staring across at him with a big smile on his face. 

“We have to get tuxedos soon,” Lukas says, leaning forward, pursing his lips. “Like we gotta go there and get measured and put in our orders and shit.”

“Oh yeah?” Philip asks, leaning forward too, still gazing at him. 

“I don’t know,” Lukas says, nearly overwhelmed with his excitement. “I’ve never done this before.”

“Me either,” Philip says, his eyes flashing down to Lukas’s mouth like he wants to kiss him again. “Guess we’re gonna figure it out together.”

“Figure out what?” Helen asks. 

Lukas startles a little bit—he’d been so focused on Philip that he hadn’t even seen the two of them come back into the room. They put down bowls of ice cream in front of both Lukas and Philip and sit down on the couch, both narrowing their eyes.

“Lukas just asked me to prom,” Philip says excitedly, looking up at them. “Which is on my birthday, weirdly enough.”

They both hum happily and Gabe claps Lukas on the shoulder, which makes him feel really good and accomplished. 

“That’s wonderful, boys,” Helen says, around a mouthful of ice cream. “That’s coming up quick, though….”

“Well, we’re not gonna be taking a limo or anything like that,” Lukas says, and then his heart lurches and he looks at Philip. “Unless you—”

Philip shakes his head. “No, no. I wouldn’t even mind going on your bike.”

“No,” Helen says, firmly. “Not in tuxedos. We’ll drive you.”

Lukas’s heart lurches again and he sees Philip make a face.

“Or they can take the car,” Gabe insists, playing close attention to both of them. Lukas nods at him and he nods back, smiling softly.

Helen grimaces, but Lukas sees her break a little bit when Philip beams at her. “We’ll figure it out,” she says.

~

Lukas gets paranoid later on that night. He’s sleeping over and he lays in Philip’s bed, staring up at the ceiling, while Philip brushes his teeth. “Babe,” he says, anxiety bubbling up in his stomach. 

Philip pops his head out of the bathroom, his toothbrush still in his mouth. 

“Am I like….making a mistake?” he asks. “Taking you to prom?”

Philip narrows his eyes. He disappears and Lukas hears him spit, washing out his mouth. He comes back, heading over to the bed. “Why, you wanna take someone else?”

Lukas squeezes his eyes shut. “No, no—that’s not what I mean.”

Philip smiles, getting into bed with him. “So what do you mean?” he asks, laying his head on Lukas’s shoulder. 

“I don’t want anyone messing with us and upsetting you,” Lukas says, craning his neck to look at him. He rubs Philip’s shoulder up and down, knows he must feel how fast Lukas’s heart is beating.

“I mean…” Philip says, pursing his lips. “I don’t care what they think.”

“I just care whether it hurts you,” Lukas says. “Especially on your birthday. I don’t want to drag you out to something like this where there are a bunch of assholes from our school that don’t even deserve to look at you.”

Philip smiles, turning onto his side and cuddling up closer to Lukas. Lukas wraps his arms around him and kisses the top of his head, wishing that things were different. He wishes everyone could be accepting, wishes that he hadn’t taken so goddamn long to accept himself in the first place. He wants to protect Philip from all the hurt in the world and he wants so badly for them to be able to go to prom without anyone being a dick about it.

“We’re gonna go there and we’re gonna dance,” Philip whispers, into the hollow of Lukas’s throat. “We’re gonna kiss in front of everybody, because they’re pretty much used to that by now. We’re gonna eat and get our pictures taken and wear masquerade masks—”

“Masks?” Lukas asks. 

“That’s the theme,” Philip says. “Masquerade. You didn’t see that on the invitation you gave me?”

“I didn’t even notice,” Lukas says, laughing softly. “I was too nervous.”

“Yeah, as if I was gonna be like _No Lukas, I’m going with somebody else_. I literally can’t think of a random person to joke about going with, that’s how outlandish it is.”

“Good,” Lukas says, looking down at him. “I don’t even want to imagine you with anyone else.” He knows Philip actually had to deal with him being with someone else—had to suffer through Lukas’s fucking awful behavior, the false version of himself he presented to the world. Thinking about it makes him feel like shit, and it also makes him want to go to prom even more. “You know what, baby?”

“Hmm?”

“We’re gonna have a fucking amazing time and no one is gonna take that away from us,” Lukas says, smiling when a grin spreads across Philip’s face.

“Course we are,” Philip says, rubbing his thumb across Lukas’s collarbone.

Lukas nuzzles their noses together, already thinking of the hotel, already thinking of the presents he needs to get, already thinking about all of it. “Can’t wait to see you in a cute little tuxedo.”

“Can’t wait for you to take it off of me,” Philip whispers, pressing a sweet kiss to the corner of Lukas’s mouth.

“Have I told you before that you’re a tease?” Lukas breathes. Philip nods, grinning, and Lukas shakes his head, covering Philip’s mouth with his own.

~

About a week later he’s standing in a dressing room in an oversized tuxedo, staring at himself in the mirror and feeling like he’s going to throw up.

Dad stands behind him and shakes his head. “Lukas, your tux isn’t going to look like this. Yours is going to fit you. They just took your measurements.”

“Then why am I even wearing this?” Lukas asks, his heart beating in his ears. “I look like a clown.”

“It’s just to give you an idea,” Dad says, looking exasperated. “And you’ll have your red tie, you two—you’re doing—you’re doing red, right?”

Lukas calms a little just hearing that, because it always makes him feel better when his dad makes an effort. “Yeah,” he says. “Red.” He sighs, looking down at his feet. “I just don’t wanna look dumb. I don’t want him to think—” He swallows his words, sighing again. 

“He’s not going to think…you look dumb,” Dad says. “I doubt either of you could ever think the other looks dumb.” He shuffles his feet a little bit and clears his throat. “Don’t let anyone—anyone—stop you from doing this. Not your schoolmates, not me, not yourself. I know it’s what you want and it’s—it’s Philip’s birthday and I know—I know that’s important to you.”

Lukas looks up at him in the mirror. “It is.”

“So just know they’ll be making a suit that fits you well,” his dad says. “And I know a guy at that flower place, could get you a good deal on boutonnieres—”

Lukas turns around and hugs him before he can finish his sentence.

 

He texts Philip once they’re back in the car. _Did you have to try on that weird large suit too?_

 _Yeah_ Philip messages, a few minutes later. _But they took my measurements so I’m not too worried. I looked dumb but Helen still cried._

Lukas smiles down at his phone. _I looked dumb but my dad started popping in with the supportive father routine so then I felt better._

Philip messages back almost immediately, when they roll to a stop at the red light. _We’re gonna have the best time._

~

Lukas worries and worries over everything but manages to get his presents in order, panicking about engraving and fonts before he finally just gives in and goes with his first choices on both. He sets things up with the cake and the hotel, hopes that it all works out properly. He knows he’ll be anxious about the set-up, but he trusts Gabe to secretly take care of it. 

He and Philip are acting like the tuxedos are goddamn wedding dresses and refuse to let each other see them when they’re ready, but when Lukas finally tries on the tux that actually fits him he nearly drops with relief. They pick them up and leave them in Lukas’s closet, hanging in plastic.

Philip sleeps over the night before prom, and Lukas attempts to keep him awake until midnight. He knows he’s failing when Philip’s head starts lolling forward when they’re lying in bed, and Lukas leans in and presses a kiss to his forehead, earning a little soft hum. 

“Baby,” Lukas says, eyes darting over to the clock on his bedside table. 

“Hmm?”

“You gonna go with me to pick up the flowers tomorrow?” Lukas asks, running absent-minded fingers through his hair.

“Yes,” Philip whispers. “Helen and Gabe are uh—gonna be coming over to take—take pictures.”

“Of course,” Lukas says. He sort of wishes they had slept in different places tonight so he could go and pick Philip up properly, surprising him with the boutonniere instead of picking them up together, but once again he realizes he’s thinking of this whole thing like a wedding and his cheeks go red. And he knows he wanted to be with Philip the moment it became his birthday, which is in two more minutes.

He sees Philip’s eyes closing again and he shakes him a little.

“Mmm, Lukas,” Philip whispers, and it’s so soft and breathy that Lukas gets a little turned on. He knows nothing is gonna happen because Philip is so tired, so he tries to push the feeling to the back of his mind.

“Don’t go to sleep yet, angel face,” he says, kissing Philip’s cheek and glancing up at the clock again. 

“Tell me tomorrow,” Philip says, nuzzling closer to him.

“I wanna be first,” Lukas says, and Philip smiles a little bit. Lukas looks up at the clock again and watches it click over to midnight. He sucks in a breath. “Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Philip, Happy Birthday to you!”

Philip hums, and Lukas brushes his hair back, pressing kiss after kiss to his mouth. “Thank you,” Philip whispers. 

“I love you,” Lukas says, hugging him tight. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Philip whispers, burying his face in Lukas’s neck. “Can I go to sleep now?”

“I guess so,” Lukas says, grinning. “We have a big day ahead of us.” He glances up towards the corner of the room where his presents are hidden, trying to imagine Dad and Gabe setting them up in the hotel room. 

“So excited,” Philip says, melting into him, and Lukas can tell he’s already drifting to sleep.

“Goodnight, baby,” Lukas whispers.

 

Dad lets Lukas take the car, and he goes with Philip to pick up the boutonnieres at about noon that day. They try to hide them from each other like idiots and can’t stop making each other laugh, Lukas’s face hurting from how much he’s smiling. Lukas goes to check in to the hotel, getting three keys so Gabe and Dad have one to use when they set things up. 

Philip and Lukas get ready in opposite bathrooms and Lukas doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. Maybe because his dad is sitting in the kitchen trying to act nonchalant. Maybe because he’s worrying about the cake and the presents getting to the hotel properly and at the right time. Maybe because he’s going to prom with his boyfriend in matching goddamn tuxedos, which is the most _out_ thing he’s ever done. Maybe because he’s so excited to do this with Philip that he can hardly breathe, and he’s so grateful prom was placed on a Saturday instead of a school day so he didn’t walk around in school almost puking from nerves. 

Once he’s completely dressed he stares at himself in the mirror, adjusting his red tie over and over again, vaguely hearing Helen and Gabe pull up outside. He brushes his hair back and wonders if he should have done something with it. He can hear Philip’s voice in the hallway and Philip always gives him butterflies, but it’s like they’re amplified today.

_You’ll never be good enough for him. There’s no reason for him to want you._

Lukas shakes it off. He knows Philip isn’t like that, he knows Philip loves him. He knows the two of them belong to each other, a sort of belonging that Lukas can feel in the tips of his fingers and in every step he takes. Like there’s an invisible string connecting them, pulling tight when they get too far. And he thinks it’s always been that way, probably why everything hurt so much before he met Philip. They were just too far away from each other.

He opens the door.

“Here he comes,” his dad says, and when Lukas turns the corner he sees Philip standing there. And he’s always fucking knocked out by him, but now he can barely keep himself from smiling as he sees how goddamn cute he looks in his tuxedo. Even though he knew it was coming it’s still so much more than he could have imagined—he looks so cute that Lukas can hardly stand it. He can’t see anything else but Philip.

“Look at you,” Philip says, grinning.

“Look at _you_ ,” Lukas says, walking towards him. Philip reaches out and tugs him forward by his tie, looks like he wants to kiss him but stops short. Lukas doesn’t think and closes the distance between them, pressing their mouths together. He vaguely hears a camera phone snap and when the kiss breaks he sees Helen looking down at her phone. 

“Uh, you two look great,” Dad says, from the kitchen. He opens the fridge and takes out the plastic containers with the boutonnieres in them, holding them out awkwardly.

“Oh wow,” Philip says. “Yours is really nice.”

“It looks the same as yours, don’t play with me,” Lukas says, gazing down at the two white roses. 

“If you need help just tell me,” Helen says, walking forward with Gabe on her heels. “These things are a pain in the ass.”

“Your mother stabbed me right in the chest,” Dad says, shaking his head when they open the containers and take the flowers out.

“I’m not gonna stab you,” Lukas says, smiling up at Philip. 

It is fucking hard, and it drives Lukas insane that he can’t do it perfectly. Finally Helen has to step in and help them both, and after ten minutes they finally have the flowers pinned on perfectly. They wrap their arms around each other and pose for a few pictures, which Dad surprisingly participates in, as well. 

When they’re heading to the car Lukas opens the door for Philip, squeezing his knee before closing it again. He puts their overnight bag in the back seat, and Gabe grabs Lukas’s elbow as he’s walking to the driver’s side.

“We’re gonna bring the gifts and the cake over to the hotel in about an hour,” Gabe says, nodding at him. “I’ll leave the extra room key inside when we’re done so you guys aren’t paranoid about us bursting in at all hours.”

Lukas snorts, shaking his head. “Thank you so much.” He looks up and sees his dad holding a thumbs up, which he’s almost sure he’s hallucinating, but he returns it all the same. 

 

“What did Gabe say to you?” Philip asks, waving at Helen as they pull away.

Lukas’s chest goes a little warm. “Just told me to show you a good time tonight. Which I adamantly said I would do.”

Philip smiles over at him, holding his chin high. He looks so cute and perfect that Lukas starts blushing, and he has to look away so he doesn’t drive off the road.

~

Lukas is sort of annoyed at himself that he didn’t book a room at the hotel where prom is being held to make things easier, but he rethinks it as soon as they start walking inside and hear how loud it is. He looks down at Philip, then reaches out and threads their fingers together. 

“You ready, babe?” Lukas asks, pushing the front door open. 

“Yep,” Philip says, though he sounds a little nervous. 

Lukas brings Philip’s hand up to his mouth and kisses it, smiling at him. 

Rose waves them down as soon as they walk through the door. She’s wearing a glittery orange dress and smiles wide when she skids to a stop in front of them. “Was wondering when you two were gonna show,” she says. 

“It’s hardly started,” Lukas says. “Haven’t you heard of fashionably late?”

“Philip, you look really nice,” she says, shooting a glare at Lukas.

“You too, Rose,” Philip says. 

“Come on,” she says. “You’ve got two seats at the table I claimed. Lots of good masks at this one.”

~

Lukas quickly realizes that this is all one big stink bomb. They take their official pictures as soon as they come in but Lukas is sure they’re terrible. Rose and their friends seem happy and no one bothers him and Philip, even invite them into their conversations, but overall prom is nothing like what he was expecting. The food is shit, some kind of dry chicken and rice, the music is awful and Lukas can tell Philip hates it. The only thing that makes him happy is how fucking cute Philip looks in his masquerade mask, way hotter than any other guy here. They make out in a stairwell for about twenty minutes before Rose comes to find them, dragging them out onto the dance floor. The three of them spin each other around and for a few minutes they’re having a great time, until the song changes to something horrible and Rose is flitting away again. 

They sit at the table and Philip leans his head on Lukas’s shoulder, holding his phone out and taking pictures of the two of them. Lukas kisses his forehead, then tips his chin up and presses a kiss to his lips.

“Mmm,” Philip hums, smiling when Lukas pulls back. He looks at his phone and pulls up the picture, which is surprisingly good. “That one’s good. Can I post it?”

“Of course,” Lukas says. “Caption it _PROM IS WAY LAMER THAN ADVERTISED_.” He’s annoyed as hell that this isn’t amazing, because it’s Philip’s birthday and they built it up so much in their heads. It isn’t even decorated as nicely as Lukas would have imagined.

“I’m having fun,” Philip says, smiling softly at him putting away his phone. He looks around, the weird spotlights dragging across his face. His eyes shine behind the mask and he looks so beautiful sitting there, just being his perfect normal self, picking at the table cloth and moving the food around on his plate. 

Lukas looks at him and his chest goes tight. “Don’t have to say that if it’s not true.”

“I always have fun with you,” Philip says, beaming. “Wherever we are.”

Lukas sighs, leaning in close to him. “But it’s your birthday. And this was supposed to be…way cooler than it is. Like it’s prom and it’s this big thing and now it’s just like…nothing. Like…a fifth grade party.”

Philip snorts, briefly glancing behind him when two girls rush by, their glittery trains trailing on the floor. He looks back at Lukas, nudging into him a little. “It’s better than that,” he says. “I’m wearing a masquerade mask. So are you. And they’re strangely attractive on both of us.”

“That’s true,” Lukas says, pulling out his own phone. “Gimme a kiss.”

Philip grins and moves in, their masks bumping as they kiss. Lukas takes three pictures and starts to laugh. Philip starts too and Lukas snaps one more, pulling his hand back as he presses another kiss to the tip of Philip’s nose.

“These pictures of us are the best part of prom,” Lukas says, flipping through them and making a collage to put on Instagram. 

“I’m sure I blinked in the official one,” Philip says, eating a fry. 

“Same,” Lukas says, shaking his head. _I’m gonna frame it anyway_ he thinks, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he posts the collage and puts his phone away again. 

A reasonably good slow song comes on and Lukas grabs Philip’s hand, tearing him away from picking at his soggy fries. “Come on,” he whispers. 

“More dancing?” Philip asks, getting out of his seat and following him.

“Yeah, while they play something good,” Lukas says.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Philip says, winding his hand around Lukas’s elbow. “This is our first slow one.”

Lukas looks back at him as they weave through the crowd. “You nervous?”

“Nope,” Philip says, letting Lukas pull him to the center of the dance floor.

They haven’t ever done this before, but Lukas refuses for it to be bad. He tugs Philip in by his waist and realizes he’s breathing through his mouth as Philip arranges his hands on his shoulders. They stare at each other for a few moments like they’re the only ones in the room, but then Philip steps closer, his lips grazing Lukas’s ear.

“I never thought we’d have this,” he whispers, as Lukas links his fingers together at the small of Philip’s back. 

“I’m sorry,” Lukas whispers back, swaying them back and forth. He knows he needs to say it forever, could probably never make up for all the dumb shit he’s done.

“No, no,” Philip says. “It’s just—you know how people are. And you know—everything that happened—”

“We made it, baby,” Lukas whispers, kissing his cheek. “No one’s bothering us.”

“Nope,” Philip says, leaning into him. 

And it’s perfect for a few beautiful, shimmering moments, the two of them holding each other in front of their whole senior class and no one is freaking out, not even the two of them. But then there’s a strange noise, some screaming, and then it’s fuckin _raining_ in the ballroom. He tugs Philip flush against him because he panics immediately, and when he looks up he sees the sprinklers are spewing water down on them.

“Uh…” Philip trails off, still holding tight to him. 

“Let’s go,” Lukas says, his heart racing. “Don’t know what the fuck is going on but I need you safe.” He takes Philip’s hand and keeps him close, half on top of him so he doesn’t get lost in the crowd. 

Lukas pulls his mask off and shoves it in his pocket. He hears adults yelling orders in the lobby but he can’t tell what the hell they’re saying, and it feels like they’re all on the Titanic trying to get the hell out of dodge. Lukas can hardly breathe, tries not to push, and he holds tight to Philip the whole time, anxious about losing him. They finally make their way outside and everybody is still running. 

That’s when it hits him how goddamn wet they are. 

Philip’s hair is plastered to his forehead and his shirt is soaked through. Lukas feels like he himself has gained like ten damn pounds since the tux is so heavy, and even though everyone is dispersing around them he refuses to let go of Philip’s hand. 

“It doesn’t smell like fire,” Philip says, pulling his mask onto his forehead and wiping his eyes.

“God knows what the hell it is,” Lukas says, looking up at the building.

“Can you text Rose and make sure she’s okay?” Philip asks, moving closer to him. He’s shivering and Lukas wraps an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in. He lets go of his hand to pull out his phone. 

“Yeah,” Lukas says, shooting her a quick message. He sighs, waiting for a response. “Of course this is how our prom ends.”

“I like you when you’re wet,” Philip whispers, kissing his neck. 

“Tease, tease, tease,” Lukas says, rubbing his hand up and down Philip’s back. His phone vibrates and Rose says she is already halfway down the street in an uber. “She’s fine,” he says. “Let’s get you the hell out of here.”

~

Philip shivers the whole car ride and Lukas fumbles with the heat, finally figuring it out. They’re pretty quiet on the way back to the hotel and Lukas holds Philip’s hand, brushing his thumb over his knuckles. 

 

They walk down the hallway and Lukas spins the key between his thumb and pointer finger. 

“I’m excited to see our room,” Philip says, holding onto his arm as they walk.

“I’m excited to get out of these clothes,” Lukas says, worrying for a minute that they’ll have to pay extra for the tuxedos because they’re so damn messed up. 

“Me too,” Philip says, grinning at him. 

They get to their room and Lukas opens the door, flipping the light on. 

“Oh wow,” Philip says, walking inside. “It’s a suite?”

“Only the best for baby’s birthday,” Lukas says, closing and locking the door behind them. He drops the overnight bag on the floor and looks around. The radio is on and seems to be playing oldies music, which Lukas instantly takes a liking to, much to his surprise. He figures Dad and Gabe left it on, and he momentarily pictures them talking about ‘romantic ambiance’ and tries not to break into hysterics. He walks over to the fridge and checks inside—the cake is there and it’s goddamn _perfect_.

“Something in the fridge?” Philip asks, peering around.

“Something for later,” Lukas says, quickly closing the door. He recognizes the next song that comes on immediately— _I Only Have Eyes for You_. For some reason, it always reminds him of his mom, and a vague memory of her and his dad dancing to it pops into his mind. He rushes back into the living room where Philip is standing, and figures the presents are in the bedroom. Gabe must have done that on his own.

“You’re moving fast,” Philip says, looking him up and down.

“Come here,” Lukas says, grabbing him, resuming the position they were in on the dance floor. They sway a little back and forth, but they’re still dripping wet, so Lukas peels off Philip’s jacket and lets it drop to the floor. 

“I like this better,” Philip whispers, taking off Lukas’s jacket too. 

They move back and forth and slowly take off each other’s clothes, Lukas dipping his head down for Philip to take off his tie. Lukas kisses Philip’s cheek and undoes the buttons of his shirt, slipping a hand into it and pressing against his chest. They’re still swaying, half-heartedly dancing, and once they’re down to their boxer-briefs they start kissing in earnest, Philip wrapping his arms around Lukas’s neck. The song changes to _Can’t Help Falling in Love_ and Lukas pulls him in close, tilting his head for a better angle as he slips his tongue into Philip’s mouth. 

They’re dancing more now than they were at prom but they’re half naked and making out too, alone and away from everybody else. Lukas draws his fingers back and forth across Philip’s waist and runs his hands up his back. Philip tangles his hands in Lukas’s wet hair, moaning when Lukas presses forward into him.

Lukas nips at his lip when the kiss ends, still swaying. “Let’s take a shower.”

“Get wetter,” Philip breathes.

“Better wetter,” Lukas says against his mouth. “Clean wet. Naked wet. You and me alone wet.”

“Perfect,” Philip whispers.

Lukas backs him up towards the bedroom, and when he’s in there he pops his eye open and sees the two presents on the bed. He kisses Philip to distract him, pulling him into the bathroom. 

They only break apart so Lukas can reach into the stall to turn on the water, but the whole time Philip is sucking at his neck, nails lightly grazing his chest. Lukas lets out a heavy breath, hardly able to concentrate. He waves his hand under the water and finds it warm enough for them to get in, so he grabs at Philip’s boxer briefs.

“Can I take these off?” he whispers, pressing a long kiss to his cheek.

“Uh, yes,” Philip says. “Take yours off too.”

Lukas pulls Philip’s off and then steps out of his own, the two of them backing up into the shower stall. The water feels nice, a lot goddamn better than the hotel sprinklers, and Lukas will never get over how Philip’s body feels under his hands. How he arches into his touch, melts against him, every move Lukas makes followed by something perfect and corresponding from Philip. They kiss and they kiss and Lukas’s head is spinning as he pushes Philip against the wall. 

“Can I touch you, baby?” Lukas whispers, rutting forward, the water pouring down on their heads. “Please, please.”

“God, yes,” Philip says, the back of his head hitting the wall. “Both, both of us—both at the same—”

And Lukas knows what he means, nodding. They’re both hard and Lukas is aching as they slide together—he wraps his hand around both their cocks and starts to work them steady. The first touch is a jolt in his heart, wild and electric, and his breath hitches as he glances down at his fingers wound around the both of them. So close, so fucking intimate. The water slides down his back and it looks like diamonds caught in Philip’s eyelashes—Lukas can’t stand it, leaning in to lick up his neck, starting to suck at the hinge of his jaw.

Philip clings to his shoulders, his eyebrows knitting together. “Fuck, Lukas, oh God—”

Lukas thumbs over the head of Philip’s cock and smears his precome over the both of them, groaning and sucking in a breath. The water makes everything so much easier and he presses closer, peppering kisses over Philip’s face. “You’re so gorgeous, baby,” Lukas says, bringing their mouths together. 

“You’re amazing,” Philip says. “Amazing, amazing—”

Lukas picks up his pace, squeezing a little bit, pumping his hips forward. Philip reaches up to grab his neck, breathing hard into Lukas’s mouth. Lukas traces over Philip’s lower lip with his free hand and Philip sucks his thumb into his mouth, dragging his tongue over it. They lock eyes and Lukas starts trembling, can hardly fucking deal with how incredible Philip looks. “Oh fuck,” he moans, dragging his thumb out of Philip’s mouth and along his upper lip now.

“So close,” Philip whispers, bucking up into Lukas’s hand. 

Lukas sees stars when he does it, his thighs shaking. His legs feel like they’re gonna drop out from under him and Philip keeps making these little _ah, ah_ noises, grabbing onto Lukas’s hair. He tugs on it and Lukas gasps, tips forward, pressing his face into Philip’s neck as he comes. Philip follows fast and Lukas works him through it, clinging to his neck. 

Lukas breathes hard and then reaches back, holding his hand under the water. After a moment or two of that he wraps his arms tight around Philip, holding him close. He kisses the junction between his neck and his shoulder over and over, nuzzling his nose there. Philip giggles and Lukas can’t help but smile too.

“You make me feel so good,” Philip whispers, cupping the back of Lukas’s head. “It’s like you’re in my brain when you’re touching me.”

“Maybe I am,” Lukas says, straightening up a little bit and kissing his temple. “Now lemme wash that hair of yours. With this…” he twists around, looking at the bottles hanging on the wall, “…with this awesome strawberry hotel shampoo.”

~

They take turns washing each other’s hair and Lukas runs the soap all over Philip’s body, getting close to turning him on again before he pulls himself back. They dry off fast—there are robes hanging outside the stall and they both laugh and make fun of them but put them on anyway, considering they left the overnight bag in the hallway. 

“Okay,” Lukas says, grabbing Philip’s hand before he opens the door. “Present time. If you hate them then I can do some returning, I think—”

Philip makes a face at him. “I’m not gonna hate anything you give me, Lukas. You didn’t even have to—”

“Nope!” Lukas says, shaking his head. “Don’t start with that crap.”

Philip smiles sweetly at him, and Lukas opens the door. He flips on the bedroom light and the two presents are sitting on the bed. He’d wrapped them himself and he’s still impressed with how well he was able to do it. He looks over and sees Philip’s eyes lighting up, climbing onto the bed and pulling Lukas along with him. 

“Open the big one first,” Lukas says, settling down. 

“I hope this isn’t too serious,” Philip says, narrowing his eyes at him as he pulls the box closer. 

Lukas revels at their situation for a moment. In this nice hotel room, in white fluffy robes, which technically means that Philip is still naked. He wants to go back and talk to the scared version of himself that first set eyes on Philip, what feels like eons ago. He wants to tell him they’re going to go to prom together, and no one is going to bother them about it. He wants to tell him Dad actually took a couple picture of him and Philip that he’ll probably get printed. He wants to tell him that they’ll have this moment and it’ll be the most comfortable thing he’ll ever feel, being with Philip like this. 

He wants to tell past Lukas that it’s all going to be alright. That his feelings are valid, his feelings are real. They’re so real they burn inside his veins, a kind of fire he wants to chase, wants to feed. Because Philip is the only thing he’s ever touched that makes him feel alive.

He swallows hard and tilts his head to the side, saying nothing. He watches Philip undo the wrapping and gasp audibly when he sees the box. He looks over at Lukas, his eyes shining with tears and his mouth hanging open. “Lukas, this is too goddamn expensive.”

“No it’s not,” Lukas says. He’d been saving for it for months, and Dad actually helped out in the end. Lukas still can’t think about it without getting a little emotional.

“It’s a Nikon, I know how much they are,” Philip says, tugging at the part of the robe closest to his neck. “A really nice one too, oh my God—”

“It’s better than the camera you have,” Lukas says, watching him turn the box over, muttering something to himself. “And this is the kit, it has the bag and the extra lens. And I bought some film and put it in there.”

“Oh my God, Lukas,” Philip says, still staring at it. 

“You like it?” Lukas asks, his ears red.

Philip looks up at him, his eyes wide. Then, he crawls over, closing the distance between them and climbing on top of Lukas. Lukas yelps a little in surprise as Philip pushes him down, crashing their mouths together. Once again, he thinks _perfect naked skin under this robe_ but he tries to keep his hands tamed and resting on Philip’s waist as they kiss, knowing there’s one more present and a cake that need Philip’s attention. But the kiss deepens and Lukas’s right hand falters a little bit, dragging down to Philip’s ass on its own accord.

“Yes,” Philip whispers against his lips. “Yes, I love it. It’s too much.”

“It’s not,” Lukas says. “I wanna buy you everything.”

“No,” Philip says, grinning, their noses brushing together. 

“Yes,” Lukas emphasizes. “Now open the next one.”

Philip nods and kisses him three times in a row, bracing himself on the mattress to climb off of Lukas. “I’m almost afraid to see what it is,” he says, licking his lips. 

“I think…I hope you’ll like it,” Lukas says, his heart hammering in his chest. 

Philip takes it in his hands delicately and starts to unwrap it. The box doesn’t give it away, just plain black, and Philip puts the wrapping aside and slips the top off. 

“I noticed that you didn’t wear a watch and you mentioned wanting to, uh, get one,” Lukas says, scooting closer to him. “But I wanted to make it special because you’re special.” He clears his throat and his ears are burning even hotter now. “Uh—I thought the black and that, uh—wine color were nice. Good for you. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to read the writing but they filled it in silver so it…came out nice.”

Philip is just staring down at the watch in his hand and he slowly turns it over. Lukas remembers pacing around in the Fossil store, spending nearly an hour there while Philip texted him flirty messages about presents, and finally he came up with the phrase that Philip is reading right now. They’d taken care of it in an afternoon, and Lukas felt like he was waiting for a goddamn baby to be born. But it came out perfect. 

_Not even time could take me away from you. P + L_

Lukas scoots up closer behind Philip and rests his chin on his shoulder. “I liked the idea of something—reassuring like that pressing against your skin,” Lukas says, soft. “So, I hope you, uh—I hope you like it and you want to wear it.”

Philip sucks in a breath and Lukas can hear him sniff a little bit, and when he cranes his neck to look at him he can see a few tears falling. He reaches over to wipe them away, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. He presses his forehead to Philip’s temple, hugging him from behind. “I love you, Philip. So much.”

“Lukas,” Philip says, with a sigh. He shakes his head and twists in Lukas’s arms, cupping his cheek with his free hand and leaning in to kiss him. It’s sweet and chaste but there’s a lot behind it, and when it breaks he rests their foreheads against each other. “Thank you so much.”

“You really like it?” Lukas asks, smiling.

“I love it,” Philip says, looking down at it. “I’m in love with it. I’m in love with you.” They both laugh, Lukas running his hand up and down Philip’s arm. “Can you put it on me?” Philip asks.

“Course,” Lukas says. He reaches down and closes it around Philip’s wrist, clicking the latch into place. 

“I’m almost afraid to wear it, it’s so goddamn nice,” Philip says, looking down. “I can tell it’s expensive, you idiot.”

“Idiot in love, spends money,” Lukas says, shrugging. 

Philip turns, climbing into Lukas’s lap. The robe shifts around his body and Lukas is once again reminded that they’re both naked, his eyelids fluttering a little bit. 

“We’ve got cake still,” Lukas says, his voice straining as he snakes his arms around him. 

“What kind of cake?” Philip asks, hands resting along Lukas’s neck, the steel of the watch cold against Lukas’s skin. 

“German chocolate,” Lukas says, still proud of that.

Philip’s face lights up. “You’re the most wonderful, sexiest, most intelligent human being in the whole galaxy.”

Lukas raises his eyebrows. “The entire galaxy?”

“And beyond,” Philip says.

They kiss for a few minutes after that, liquid and languid, hands roaming and bodies rocking against each other. 

“I’m sorry prom was stupid,” Lukas whispers, his eyelids heavy.

“It was perfect,” Philip says, kissing the height of Lukas’s cheekbone. “This whole day was perfect. You’re perfect.”

Lukas thinks Philip is the most perfect thing he’s ever seen. He’s always hated himself, never thought he was doing the right thing, but now, with Philip—it finally feels like he’s found the freedom to love himself. Because if someone as incredible as Philip loves him…there’s got to be something good here.

“Carry me into the living room, babe,” Philip says, wrapping his arms tighter around Lukas’s neck. “Let’s get at that cake.”

“Mmm, yes sir,” Lukas says, inching his hands under Philip’s thighs and hoisting him into his arms. He scoots over to the side of the bed, both of them giggling, and holds him tight when he gets to his feet. 

“I love you, baby,” Philip whispers, as they move into the living room. He kisses Lukas’s temple, then his cheek, then the side of his nose.

“I love you too, Philip,” Lukas says. “Happy Birthday.”

Lukas feeds him cake on the pull-out couch and they make love there because they’re too lazy to try and get back to the bed, or too wrapped up in each other to care. Philip falls asleep with a lovely, content smile on his face, and Lukas has never felt so damn happy.


End file.
